Research Article:

Riadh A. Abbas, Asst. Prof. of Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering Al. Muthanna University 

E-mail addresses:  Readh_56@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Concrete is a relatively durable building Materials, it may be failed or damaged due to
the effect of some properties of soil components, such as salt, sulfate and underground water,
especially when the concrete used in construction of the underground structures. Sulfate and
salt (which are dissolved in water) try to penetrate through the concrete and attack it. The
attack effects will be on the strength characters of concrete and rebar reinforcements.
The aim of this work is to study the effect of soil components on strength of concrete
(for 28 day age) when the concrete is buried in the soil. For achieving this aim of the work,
the compressive strength of concrete specimens was tested before and after burying in the
ground for the same concrete mix design. The specimens were grouped to be tested under the
condition of different periods of burying in the soil for 5 months starting from the casting
date. In addition to that, it was investigated the effect of saline degree on the compressive
strength of the embedded concrete in the soil. The results of the tested specimens were
compared with the reference specimens, i.e. those which had been tested without burying in
the soil. The area in which the specimens were buried divided into three zones according to
the degree of salinity, this area is in Samawa City (270 km south-west of Baghdad) . It was
found that the compressive strength of concrete specimens exposed to Sulphate attack in zone
A for a period of 79 and 102 decreases from 25.7 MPa to 22.25 MPa, while the others in
zones B and C showed a decrease in compressive strength from 25.7 MPa to 17.5 and 18 MPa
respectively.

Keywords: Concrete, Compressive Strength, Saline Degree, Sulphate Attack

Get Full Access/PDF